Damselflies up close and personal 2017

I have a slight photo backlog as the macro season gets into full swing.  I have caught up with the damselflies that I like to take up close and personal, and normally May is the best time for this as they are not always so active as later in the year when the weather heats up.  These are my favourite shots from May 2017 of these delicate beautiful preadators.  All the following images are at 1:1 and above and taken on my specialist Canon MPE-65mm macro lens which gives magnifications from 1:1 (lifesize on the camera sensor) to 5:1 (5x lifesize).

I was lucky enough even to get close ups on a mating pair of Common Blue Damselflies, with these first two shots, one showing the way the male mates with the female, and then the females head and males tail.

Mating Damselflies
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO250)
Mating Damselflies
Female Common Blue Damselfly Mating
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO250)
Female Common Blue Damselfly Mating

Now onto several more shots of some Common Blue Damselfies.

Stem Rider
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO200)
Stem Rider
Waiting for Prey
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO1250)
Waiting for Prey
Spear & Shield
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO800)
Spear & Shield
I'm gonna knock you out!
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO250)
I’m gonna knock you out!
Here's looking at you
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO1000)
Here’s looking at you
Up close with a female Common Blue Damselfly
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO640)
Up close with a female Common Blue Damselfly
Common Blue Damselfly on leaf
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO400)
Common Blue Damselfly on leaf
Smiler
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO400)
Smiler
Jaws
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO400)
Jaws
Catching the rays
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO400)
Catching the rays

I was also fortunate to catch one of these taking off.

Take off!
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO400)
Take off!

The other species that I got close two was the Blue-tailed Damselfly.  This first one showing the tell tale blue dot like mark on their tail.

Blue-tailed Damselfly - see my tail!
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO500)
Blue-tailed Damselfly – see my tail!

One of them I rescued from a spiders web, and this meant it sat around for a bit whilst it cleaned up a few threads.

I tell you there's no strings on me...
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO640)
I tell you there’s no strings on me…
Eek Spider Web!
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO640)
Eek Spider Web!
Wave Hello
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO640)
Wave Hello

And finally the remaining blue-tail photos.

Way Hay!
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO640)
Way Hay!
See! All gone!
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO320)
See! All gone!
Yes Sir!
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO500)
Yes Sir!
The Helicopter
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO500)
The Helicopter
This is My Grass
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (65mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO500)
This is My Grass

These were all taken at Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve, Ellingham in May 2017.  Equipment Canon 5d Mark IV, Canon MPE-65mm Macro Lens and lit by Canon MT-24ex Twin Flash ( Diffused )

One thought on “Damselflies up close and personal 2017

  • July 5, 2017 at 9:34 pm
    Permalink

    Fab collection. Funny little fellows

    Reply

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